- By Justin Falconer

The Australian PGA Championship is moving to Royal Queensland Golf Club in 2020.

The PGA of Australia’s flagship tournament is a key fixture in the Australian summer of golf and will continue to be one of the early stops on the European Tour calendar.

Royal Queensland is locked in to host the Australian PGA Championship for three years, beginning this December.

2020 marks the famed Brisbane layout’s 100th anniversary, with the Australian PGA Championship to cap off a year of celebrations.

Royal Queensland will kick-start the festivities next week when it plays host to the world’s best amateurs at Australian Amateur Championship in conjunction with Brisbane Golf Club.

“We’re incredibly excited to return to Brisbane and the Royal Queensland Golf Club to celebrate a milestone anniversary of one of the country’s most treasured golf courses,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said on Thursday.

“Royal Queensland Golf Club is a rich breeding ground which has unearthed a number of PGA Professionals, including one of the game’s icons, Greg Norman. We look forward to celebrating the club’s history with our flagship event.

“We know Brisbane loves its live sporting events and we look forward to seeing the crowds come out to cheer on our home-grown and international golfers, while enjoying the party atmosphere of the Championship, which will continue to deliver exciting, vibrant and fan-friendly entertainment precincts on course.

 “We cannot wait to share this popular tournament with the people of Brisbane.”

The battle for the Joe Kirkwood Cup has been held on the Gold Coast’s RACV Royal Pines Resort since 2013.

Cam Smith and Adam Scott each claimed the Joe Kirkwood Cup twice in that seven-year span, with former World No.1 Scott winning last month for his 30th professional career title.

The last time Royal Queensland played host to the Australian PGA Championship was in 2001, when Victoria’s Robert Allenby went back-to-back for the second of his four Joe Kirkwood Cups.